I Hate Gold Thread

Fecamp Palster

I know it's an odd title for a post "I hate gold thread," however working on this new project and what it commands has really just confirmed how much I hate working with gold thread.  It unravels, frays, knots, breaks, strips off the core, and is a general pain in the butt.  I force myself to work with lengths between eight to ten inches to minimize issues, but with such short lengths it only ever feels like I am constantly cutting more to work with than I am actually working with.  I honestly can't stand the stuff.

But why is this important to my research?

It's not.  I just needed to share my irritation.

So what am I working on here?

Funny you should ask!  Let me tell you after spending much time researching the volume sleeve from my last post, I really found myself 

You remember this one, right?

drawn to Philosophia's dress. I began to check out other similar style sheath dresses.  Which is rather daring when you aren't a size 10 or even a size 16.  Mundane sheath dresses and myself get along about as well as me and gold thread.  But I really like the dress and so, I am taking a plunge here.

I floated through some images and noticed that sheath dresses were usually a patterned fabric, presumably silk, with large sleeves. Sometimes those sleeves were a trumpet or pendant style.  While long, by modern sense, the dress only comes down to about a little lower to mid shin on average with the under dress pooling at the feet.  Of course, I am not going to stop there, I also wanted to look at the available fabrics.  While checking on the brocade patterns found in extant examples, all woven examples were of silk. Other examples of finds made of linen were block printed.  I considered the

print theory, knowing that either one would be acceptable, but in thinking how noble and honored these ideals and ladies were, linen wouldn't be enough.  They would have to be rich and nearly decedent.  Decedent like silk.

By the way, I am of the school there is no such thing as too many pearls.  And the only natural pairing for silk is pearls.  God, I love the 12th century.



German painted linen

Now, let me say this clearly, I love playing in the SCA and I love the freedom it grants me to try out ideas and attempt to create something unique and at the same time historically based.  Because of this I do not admonish those whom like their creations to exactly emulate illuminations, statues, or extant finds.  I rather admire their attention to detail.  However, I am going for the reaction of "That looks like it belongs."  So, when I piece it together, you will see my personal artistic expression in a historically drenched goodie.

Spanish silk brocade

If you don't like it... well, you wouldn't still be reading would you?

You can see much more substance in the brocade than the linen.  Painted linen is awesome, but in the images considered, the silk is more likely for the depth of the aesthetic qualities that the artists seem to be rendering in the palsters and illuminations.

Now, not too stray too far from the given designs, in Philosophia's dress, the trim around the hem is going to be the inspiration for the strip of silk that will be running down the front.  I have yet to decide on pendant or trumpet sleeves.  That has yet to be decided and I have plenty of time for that.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have more gold thread to go and hate.

Tablet Weaving Improvised

Chartres statue

Well, with things like the veil, under dress, and filet done it was time to consider the belt. Now, the belt of a bliaut is not a simple little strip of leather. It's a rather long bit that wraps around you twice, ties in the front, and dangles happily down the front of the dress. I do have one carving where the dangling bit is missing, but generally speaking, they dangle.

This lovely long belt, also called a cincture, is often times depicted modernly as a piece of very long trim or a fabric belt with the addition of cords and tassels. There is nothing wrong with either approach. I however, staring for many hours at pictures of statues and manuscript art, have come to embrace the notion of a long tablet woven band with the excess decorated for the purposes of resembling those statues. The width of the cording and the way that the edge of the belt fabric eases into the tasseling ends just seems too much tablet weaving and how the excess can behave. It can easily braid and twist into it's own cording.

So... Yeah.

Seems like the best idea to me.

So, like my filet, I would have to do the best with what I have on hand. In this case, I made my own cards from cardboard inserts from a pet food box. I used a wooden ruler as the beater. Using part of a thread tube I fashioned a shuttle. Plus, I flipped a Windsor chair over to use as my loom. I paid $6.00 for a rather silk like yarn to make the magic happen.

I chose a simple pattern, cut, and loaded the cards. Got them in order, I pulled out a sufficient amount of yarn for the first tail. I had to get creative for the wrapping the other side. But the loom idea worked like a dream and after a few hours a day here and there I soon had enough to call the belt body done.

If you are looking for a wonderful little how to, look here.
Next installment we will look at the decorating of the hanging bits. I am still finishing that part up.

Threading the cards.  Wouldn't have been too bad, but the cats kept attacking.

Working the pattern, using a ruler to pack the yarn.

Close up of the forming pattern.

Wrapped around a chair due to lack of loom.

And... the final completed length.

Final Bag 1

Today's goal of finishing the bag was met.

After I applied the interfacing to protect the stitches, I sewed up the sides on both the potter bag and the white linen liner. Three original has a lovely bit of hold tablet weaving over the seams. I opted to use more gold couching because I currently lack tablet weaving supply. After which I added a little tassel, a detail more popular on 12th century bags.
Upon lining the bag, I left a small opening so I could turn it properly. I had originally planned to leave that opening in the liner, but forgot about it till I put it on the machine.


Oh well...

Anyway, I crocheted up some silk cords that I had to fight my kitten for control of.  I managed to drum up some nice silver metal beads from work to tie on to the ends. Attaching the ties was the hardest thing to do with Egon constantly trying to eat them.

But it is all done now. My husband wants a bag of his own now.  Who saw that coming?

Me.

Progress on Bag 1

So, the bag I had been working on is coming along nicely. I just put the finishing bead and pearl work on. I added a bit of fusible interfacing to the bag to protect the beads. Even though it's going to be lined, I don't want a bead or pearl to get snagged, break the thread and cause an expensive mess.
Glass pearls are fine. But I love the texture and glow of real fresh water pearls. Even the C grade pearls have loads of wonderful personality. I also used cobalt glass beads. I have a large stash I've been sitting on for about 20 years. They just glow blue in the light. Beautiful little things that must be used.

The bag I based this one on is a Byzantine relic pouch from the 10th or 11th century. I know, a bit early for me, but it made through the 12th century and never lost its fashionable charm. It has been described thusly: “lattice-work wreath pattern worked on a [silk] ruby red ground. It is made from a single linen-lined piece of cloth, and has seams on two sides. These are concealed by a narrow gold tablet woven border. The red silk drawstrings and carrying-cords are adorned with 25 silver balls.”
Now, I know someone out there is screaming about how I added pearls when there are no pearls on the extant piece.

My Reasoning Process
1) It's modeled after a Byzantine piece. Tons and tons of pearls were used by their royalty. It was if they had a pearl cannon and just drenched everything in pearls. If the former owner was modest or not noble, it stands a good chance it would not have gotten the pearl treatment.
2) I portray a 12th century French noble. Damn straight I am going to add pearls.
Once the bag is done, I will show it off. I still have to select beads and cords and line it. It will be all kinds of fab!!